Help me find examples of old steel hybrids

I'm in the market for an old steel hybrid (or just a frame) for my 2 speed project. After wasting a lot of time trying to unseize a seat post on an old Trek 800 Mountain Track, my dear brother suggested a 700c instead of a 26". That suggestion makes a ton of sense as my 3 speed rolls 700c and therefore I'd have spare wheels and I could swap the tires, just stock one size of spare tubes etc.

What I need help with, dear Chainlinkers, is finding examples of what I'm looking for so when I post to the Marketplace and Craig's I can cite those names as the kinds of bike/frame I'm looking for.

Also, if you have a tall version of a bike or frame that meets the requirements we can cut the process short by just selling me the bike or frame. :)

Must have:

- horizontal dropouts

- 700 c

- tall enough for a 6' 3" rider. (22"+)

Nice to have:

- canti brake bosses

- lots of braze-ons for racks and fenders

- rigid fork

So help me refine the search. I'm also happy to entertain suggestions about the list of requirements. My goal is to build a 2 speed, year-round commuter/utility bike. The initial build might be a SS/fixed that I'll ride while I'm building the rear wheel.

I've had a load of trouble with fender clearance using an old road bike frame for my 3 speed build, so to avoid that, and so that I'd have more room to experiment with different tires I'd like the extra room afforded by a hybrid frame.

Nice find! thanks Howard. It seems a bit too nice to hack up into a frankentility bike though. $265 seems crazy high for that bike - although if it really is near mint then I suppose it may be worth that much to a collector. It would be kind of awesome to start the project with a made in Wisconsin frame, but my current budget would rules out dropping any more than $100 or so on the donor.

Disagree strongly. $265 is a very good price for that bike, and not just for someone interested in the collectability. It's barely ridden, US made butted cro-moly. Original retail probably $600, and well worth it at the time. If it's got the original wheels, which I presume it does, they're basically bomb-proof.

Anyways... good to know about the $100 ceiling. Definitely a needle in a haystack you're looking for.

Tony Adams said:

Nice find! thanks Howard. It seems a bit too nice to hack up into a frankentility bike though. $265 seems crazy high for that bike - although if it really is near mint then I suppose it may be worth that much to a collector. It would be kind of awesome to start the project with a made in Wisconsin frame, but my current budget would rules out dropping any more than $100 or so on the donor.

I can't think offhand of anyone besides Trek who made a steel hybrid frame...if Specialized ever did, it's going to be of the heavy foreign-made variety. Univega maybe? I wouldn't want one (even though they are typically credited with 'inventing' the hybrid.)

Specialized did make a couple of hybrid-type frames in the 90s. They were welded frames and probably Taiwanese-made. One nicer than the other, but I am forgetting their names at the moment. Univega did make a really nice 700c hybrid for a couple of years in the early 90s called the Via de Oro that was specced with Suntour XC Pro. I had one until it was stolen a few years ago, and it was a nice all-rounder. Later versions got things like STX RC and grip shifters. 750s like the one in the link above are nice bikes, though I am not personally a fan of how they feel (I picked one up for a winter bike a couple of years ago), and the price for the above example looks good to me.

You could always go with an older steel Schwinn frame and go from there. I did one for the GF and was fairly inexpensive and had clearance for some good sized tires. Below is about $325 total and has 700x38c

Thanks David and Howard. The price for the above example may be good, but for my purposes it isn't practical to spend that much. I'm looking at... I dunno $150 or so to build a rear wheel and if I add that to the $265, I think I'm getting into the range of a new 2 speed. I fergit what it was, but Blue City had a pretty cool two speed for sale last summer.

David P. said:

Specialized did make a couple of hybrid-type frames in the 90s. They were welded frames and probably Taiwanese-made. One nicer than the other, but I am forgetting their names at the moment. Univega did make a really nice 700c hybrid for a couple of years in the early 90s called the Via de Oro that was specced with Suntour XC Pro. I had one until it was stolen a few years ago, and it was a nice all-rounder. Later versions got things like STX RC and grip shifters. 750s like the one in the link above are nice bikes, though I am not personally a fan of how they feel (I picked one up for a winter bike a couple of years ago), and the price for the above example looks good to me.

Good to know, I'll add that to the list. Thanks Todd.

Todd Boring said:

Univega made an Activa Trail hybrid with horizontal drops, canti's and a hanger..........

THanks Jerry. Given the uh, challenge of finding what h' probably accurately describes as a needle in a haystack, I may end up going this route. I had no idea I could get a new frame for $40! While I prefer steel, given my price limits I might end up going with aluminum - but I'm not seeing anything there in a 700c with horizontal drops. I guessing the inventory changes over time so I'll try to remember to keep an eye on it.

As a last resort I may end up going this route as there are lots of old Schwinns available.

Joe Willis said:

You could always go with an older steel Schwinn frame and go from there. I did one for the GF and was fairly inexpensive and had clearance for some good sized tires. Below is about $325 total and has 700x38c

Jerry Lee said:

looking for a frame? Here is a bunch of new frames at a good price, my last 4 bikes were build ups from a frame from here. lotsa choices

Disagree strongly. $265 is a very good price for that bike, and not just for someone interested in the collectability. It's barely ridden, US made butted cro-moly. Original retail probably $600, and well worth it at the time. If it's got the original wheels, which I presume it does, they're basically bomb-proof.

Anyways... good to know about the $100 ceiling. Definitely a needle in a haystack you're looking for.

Tony Adams said:

Nice find! thanks Howard. It seems a bit too nice to hack up into a frankentility bike though. $265 seems crazy high for that bike - although if it really is near mint then I suppose it may be worth that much to a collector. It would be kind of awesome to start the project with a made in Wisconsin frame, but my current budget would rules out dropping any more than $100 or so on the donor.

A Surly CrossCheck frameset is worth a look as well..................a frame that will hold some substantial value down the road and offers several build options. Bonus if you can find a used one your size